ID Theft Risk Factor:
You travel frequently for business or pleasure
"On a business trip to finally land the client I’d been romancing for six months, I was shocked to be stopped by TSA at airport security. My name was actually on the Homeland Security watch list as a criminal. Identity thieves had used my name as an alias to run up thousands in unpaid bills, even establishing a phony business in my name. I thought dealing with Sarbanes-Oxley was tough, but it was nothing compared to trying to clear my name.”
As a frequent traveler, especially for business, you perhaps have more to lose than the ordinary individual if your identity is ever stolen and your life is placed on hold. Can you imagine…
- Going through airport security without a driver’s license?
- Renting a car or reserving a hotel room with your credit cards on hold?
- Sitting for hours in a phone booth if your cell phone is cut off?
- Spending years “fighting City Hall” to straighten things out?
The consequences of identity theft are unaffordable to you. If you are a frequent traveler, you’re an identity thief’s favorite target. Here’s why:
As a Traveler... |
Be aware... |
You “trust” more people with your personal and financial information in a given day—e.g., hotel clerks, car rental employees and waiters—than most people do in months. |
Most travel industry service personnel are trustworthy. But, sadly, a small minority of “compromised” employees is often responsible for large identity theft scams. |
Your credit cards are seemingly in the hands of others more than in your wallet. |
Seemingly innocent bystanders standing close to you in line trying to get a glimpse of your financial information. |
You are registered on travel and financial sites that supposedly are secure. |
Identity thieves are sophisticated data experts and often hack into even the most secure sites. Remember: No site is perfectly secure. |
You use hotel cards as room keys that are stocked with your personal information.
Important: Never leave your hotel keys behind— either in your room or at the front desk. Shred them as you would your expired credit cards. |
Thieves steal personal information from hotel key cards using the most elementary of software programs. |